What's worse, a 30-3 loss or losing 30 straight?

After last Thursday's game in which the O's bullpen blew another game, losing 5-2 to the Twins, I made the comment that they would be lucky to win another game. This team's morale stinks like none other. With young starting pitching and the majors worst bullpen that reeks of a disastrous finish to the season. If any team was capable of losing 3o consecutive games, it would be the Baltimore Orioles. Let's not forget, that miserable finish to the 2002 season. For those of you non-Oriole fans out there, here is what happened.

August 23, 2002: The Orioles are exceeding the expectations of some by reaching a 63-63 record. They had hung around just below .500 for much of the season but it was the first time they reached that mark since early May. Optimism was beginning to grow with the possibility of a winning season. In typical fashion, the O's would very soon wipe away any hope.

With 36 games remaining and a 63-63 record, no one imagined what would happen next. During those final 36 games, the Baltimore Orioles (a Major League Baseball team) produced a 4-32 record to finish the season with a 67-95 record. No doubt, one of the most historic collapses of all time.

Fast forward to 2007, and I see "deja vu all over again." Beginning with the 30-3 debacle, the O's are in the midst of an 8-game losing streak. Sadly we had a chance in most of the games but the bullpen collapsed almost every time. Tuesday night, the 'pen managed to give up 11 runs in one inning to the Devil Rays of all teams. Keep in mind, that even the Rangers did not get 11 in an inning during the 30-3 loss. We are now 58-73, and of our last 31 games, 22 of those come against teams with winning records (including 13 games against the Red Sox and Yankees). Oh yeah, of the 9 games against teams with losing records, 4 of those are at Texas.

So yeah, I could see us losing 30 in a row. Even on the optimistic side I think we only win at the most 10 more games, giving us a final record of 68-94. No surprise that is nearly identical to the 2002 season. Yet another pathetic season for this "increasingly difficult to root for" team.

I know this is a season I will talk about to my grandkids. Not for the O's miserable record, but for something much more important. I will always be able to say "I was there for Cal Ripken's Hall of Fame Induction." Who knows how long it will be before I am as proud to be an Oriole fan as I was during that day. Maybe next year...or next decade.